The country estate of Eastwell Park, in
the parish of Eastwell, near Boughton Lees, Ashford in Kent, is not
perhaps a name which immediately comes to mind when thinking of a
one-time royal residence. It was, however, the Kent home of Prince
Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and his family, when they were not at
their official London residence at Clarence House. The fact that
the sons of Queen Victoria…
When Sophie Rhys Jones married Prince
Edward on June 19th 1999 at St. George’s Chapel, she carried a
bouquet with more than a hint of the past about it. The couple who
starred in the last big Windsor wedding of the 20th century had
gone for something of a medieval…
You’ve probably seen the acronym CHOGM a
lot lately, or you’ve heard about a Commonwealth meeting that
begins today in London. What is CHOGM? And what’s the meeting?
CHOGM stands for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting,
which is a large meeting of all the nations in the Commonwealth
that takes place every two years. There are currently 53 nations in
the Commonwealth, and they touch…
Within the historical collections of the
Royal Armoury [Livrustkammeran] in Stockholm are preserved some
astonishing examples of Swedish royal wedding dresses. Some are in
the forms of fully preserved dresses, others sections from the
same, such as trains or loosely…
In 1874, Queen Victoria’s second son,
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh got married. In great contrast,
however, to the weddings of his other siblings, he did not marry in
Great Britain, but instead, in Russia. The marriages of his
brothers all took place at St George’s…
Philippe of the Belgians was an unlikely
king. Although born second in line to the throne, he was never
expected to succeed. In fact, his whole royal life has been filled
with surprises. Yet since his accession, in July 2013, he has been
praised as a successful sovereign, a royal who has given his
dynasty strong foundations for the future. The man who would,
unexpectedly, be king was born on…
Queen Victoria’s love of orange blossom
properly began with her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840; however,
this marked only the start of what would be an enduring association
within the Royal Family, and not just for weddings. Orange blossom
is, of course, traditionally…
In reading Royally Suited: Harry and
Meghan in their own words by Phil Dampier, you realise just how
perfect these soon-to-be newlyweds are for each other. Divided into
two sections, one for Prince Harry and one for Meghan Markle,
Dampier has plucked quotes that highlight each person’s feelings on
family, work, charity, and love – and you find several prescient
selections. For example, at the…
